Toggle operated slidable jaw wrench



May 31, 1949.

F. c. FISCHER 2,471,734 I TOGGLE OPERATED SLIDABLE JAW WRENCH FiledApril 17, 1947 Invehtor Fredriech C. Fischer 1 W a Attorney;

Patented May 31, 1949 FFICE TOGGLE OPERATED WRENC SLIDABLE JAW HFriedriech C. Fischer, De Witt, Nebr. Application April 17, 1947, SerialNo. 742,098

2 Claims. l

My invention relates to wrenches of the sliding jaw` type forming thesubject matter of my cpending application Serial No. 649,968, filedFebruary 25, 1946, and over which the instant invention is designed asan improvement.

The primary object of `the instant invention is to provide a wrenchembodying a xed jaw, and a relatively slidable jaw having a shank, withtoggle operated means for sliding the shank back into the handle of thewrench in closing the jaws, the toggle operated means being arranged soas to obviate possible injury thereby to the hand grasping the handle,all so as to render the wrench safer to use than other wrenches of asimilar type.

Other and subordinate objects, also comprehended by my invention,together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be readilyunderstood when the succeeding description and claims are read withreference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of thisspecication.

In said drawing:

Figure l is a view in side elevation of my improved wrench, in thepreferred embodiment thereof, and showing the hand lever swung away fromthe handle to break the toggle and open the jaws;

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section showing the hand lever swungtoward the handle to straighten the toggle and close the jaws on a nut;

Figure 3 is a detail View in longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3of Figure 2; and,

Figure 4 is a detail view in transverse section taken on the line 4--4of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, my improved wrench, in theembodiment shown, comprises an elongated hollow handle I with anintermediate section 2 of generally oval form in cross section having acylindrical tail end extension 3 and a front end extension 4substantially U-shaped in cross section, said extensions 3, 4.

being laterally offset upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center ofthe section 2.

A fixed serrated jaw 5 extends laterally from the front end of the frontend extension 4, at a right angle thereto, and oppositely from thedirection in which said extension is offset, said jaw having a rightangled end shank 6 of square cross section fitted in between the edgesof said extension 4 with bolts 'I securing the same to said edges, saidshank E extending rearwardly along said extension 4 and functioning as aller between said edges and also in an additional capacity presentlyseen.

A movable serrated jaw 8 is opposed to the xed jaw 5, forwardly thereof,on the front end of a squared shank 9 confined in the front endextension 4, by the shank 6, and being endwise slidable in saidextension and in the section 2 forwardly and rearwardly to open andclose the jaws 5, 8 respectively. A lateral rear end lug i9 on the shank9 extends from the same side thereof as the movable jaw 8 and is adaptedto play forwardly and rearwardly in the intermediate section 2 of thehandle` I.

A presetting shaft Il for the movable jaw 8 extends through the rear endextension 3 and the intermediate section 2 and, for a short distance,out of the same, and is rotatably mounted adjacent its rear end in areduced rear end opening I2 in said extension 3, the presetting shaft Ilbeing endwise movable forwardly and rearwardly, as will be clear. A coilspring I3 surrounding the presetting shaftv II, between the rear end ofthe rear end extension 3 and a collar I4 on said shaft, opposes rearwardmovement of said shaft. l

A knurledcollar` I5 on the rear end of the presetting shaft II isadapted to abut the rear end of the rear end extension 3 and limitforward movement of said shaft II. The collar I5 forms a hand grip forrotating the presetting shaft A rear end hangerring I6 on the presettingshaft I I provides for suspending the wrench when desired.

Forwardly of the collar` I5, the presetting shaft II is threaded, as atI'I, through the lug Ill. An axial front end socket I8 is provided inthe presetting shaft I I for a, purpose presently apparent.

An outwardly bowed hand lever I9 is pivotally mounted on the fixed jaw 5to swing toward and from the handle I and by means of a bifurcated frontend 20 thereon straddling said jaw 5, and a pivot pin 2I passing throughsaid end 20 and through said jaw.

A bifurcated link 22 straddling the hand lever I9 in the rear of thepivot pin 2l, and pivoted at one end to said lever, as by a pin 23, hasits other end pivoted, as by a pin 24, to a bifurcated head 25 lof astud 26 rotatable in the before mentioned socket I8. As will bemanifest, the hand lever I9, between the pivot pin 2| and the pivot pin23, and together with the link 22 forms a toggle relative to which thepresetting shaft I I is rotatable.

Referring now to the operation of the described wrench, with the handlever I 9 swung away from the handle I, in the position shown in Figure2, the described toggle will be broken, as shown, and the presettingshaft I I advanced outwardly of the handle I by the coil spring I3 toadvance the lug I0, shank 9, and the movable jaw 8 so as to open thejaws 5, 8. Now, by rotating the presetting shaft II, the lug Ill may befed along the same to preset the movable jaw 8 into the approximateposition desired relative to the xed jaw 5. Then by swinging the handlever I9 to- 3 ward the handle I, the described toggle may bestraightened, as shown in Figure 2, so that the presetting shaft II willbe pnshed thereby inwardly ofthe handle I in opposition to the coilspring I3 to lretract the movable jaw 8, in a manner which will beclear, and thereby close the jaws 5, 8, for instance on a nut 21. Assoon as the described toggle is straightened out, the 'pivot pins 2 I,23, 24 are aligned in the axis of the pre-- setting shaft II to form adead cent-,er lock holding the hand lever I9 in an inward limit of'movement thereof and the jaws 5, 8 closed. The 'described toggle, whenstraightened out, engages the shank 6 and the straightened out positionof said toggle is thereby established. Obviously, as soon as thedescribed toggle is broken, the coil spring I3 will act to advance thepresetting shaft I-I and thereby advance the movable jaw 8 to open thejaws 25, I8.

The foregoingl wil- 1, it isfbeli'eved, ysuffice to irnpart -a clearunderstanding of my invention, without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, fas described, is susceptible ofmodification, without departing from the inventive concept, and right isherein reserved 'to such modifications as fall within the scope 4of theappended claims.

1, In a wrench, a hollow handle, a fixed jaw extending `laterally from'one end of the handle, a `movable jaw opposed tothe 'fixed jaw andhaving a shankl slid'ably fitted in lsaid handle to be advanced outofthe same and retracted therein and c*orrespon,dingltr Imove themovable jaw relative to the first jaw, a. yshaft slidably extendedthrough said handle for advance and retraction and thrgad'edly connected'to `said shank in laterally offset relation thereto to advance andretract the Same upon vrotation "of `said shaft, a hand lever pivote@ onsaidxed jaw for swinging toward and `away from said handle, a linkpivoted at one end to Esaid handlever'with its other end connected toSeid Shaft and forming with apart of said hand lever a toggle betweensaid fixed jaw and :one end of said shaft movable into .4 straightenedout position into alignment with said shaft to exert a push against saidshaft for retractng the same when said hand lever is swung toward saidhandle, and spring 'means in said handle for advancing said shaft.

2. In a wrench, a. hollow handle, a xed jaw eX- tending laterally fromone end of the handle, a movable vjaw opposed to the fixed jaw andhaving a shank slidably fitted in said handle to be advanced out of thesame and retracted therein and correspondingly move the movable jawrelative to the first fjaw, a shaft slidably extended through saidhandle for advance and retraction and 'connected to said shank inlaterally offset relation thereto to advance and retract the same, ahand leverpivoted on "said fixed jaw for swinging toward and away fromsaid handle, a link pivoted at one end to said hand lever with its otherend connected to said shaft and forming with a part of said ha`nd levera toggle between said fixed jaw and one Iend of-said shaft movable intostraightened out position into alignment with said shaft to exert a pushagainst said shaft for retracti'ng the sarne when said hand lever isswung toward said handle, and 'spring means 'in said handle foradvancing said shaft, said shaft being rotatable and the connection:between the same and said shank comprising a lateral lug on the `shankthrough whichs'aid shaft is threaded and providing for advancing andretracting said shank by rotation of said shaft in opposite direct-ions,`re`spectiv`ely, 'to preset said movable Jaw.

FR'IfEDRIEC'I-I C. FISCHER.

fREFERENGES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,259,216' Small Oct. 14, 1945i`2,391,604 Wallace Dec. 25, 1945 2,397,239 Brown Mar. 26, 1946

